Sample Cover Letter for a Summer Internship

Sample Cover Letter for a Summer InternshipSample Cover Letter for a Summer InternshipAre you on the hunt for a summer internship or job? You will most likely need to include a deckblatt letter when you apply, in addition to a resume and references. Heres everything you need to know to prepare that piece of correspondence, from what to include to how to send it, along with an example of a summer internship titelbild letter that you can use for inspiration while writing your own. What to Include in Your Cover Letter In yourcover letter, you should include your previous employment experience and two or three examples of the relevant skills you gained. If you only have limited related employment experience, you can include examples from your coursework, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and internships. Your goal is to provide the hiring manager with an understanding of how your personality, background, and skills will translate into making you a strong employee or intern. So, include information that demonstrates how your abilities align with the role itself. Your resume lists your skills, and your cover letter highlights how you have put those skills to use. How to Send Your Letter Depending on the application process, you will either send your letter in written form or by emaille. If you areemailing your cover letter, you will need to be clear in the subject line about the contents of the message. For example, the subject, Sarah Campbells Cover Letter Summer Journalism Internship, is unambiguous and straightforward and will allow the hiring manager to file it appropriately. For emailed cover letters, theres no need to include contact info in the heading. Instead, begin the message with the salutation. You can add your phone number and email address below your closing. The following is asample written cover letterfor a summer job or internship. Remember to omit the contact information from the header for emails. You can tailor it to fit your ex periences and the position for which you are applying. Sample Cover Letter for a Summer Internship (Text Version) Your Contact Information (skip this section if youre sending an email)Your NameAddressCity, State Zip CodePhone NumberCell Phone NumberEmailEmployer Contact Information(skip this section as well if youre sending an email)NameTitleCompanyAddressCity, State, Zip CodeDate (Again, no need to include this section in an email)Dear Mr./Ms. LastName,Please accept my enthusiastic application for the public relations internship you posted through ABC Colleges Career Services Office. I would love the opportunity to work as a summer assistant for your company. After reading the description of the position and the required skills, I believe I am a well-qualified candidate for the job.You specify that you are looking for someone with strong writing skills for publishing press releases and other information material. As an English major, a writing tutor, and an editor of my school pape r and multiple literary magazines, I have become a skilled writer with a broad variety of experience.I also fulfill your requirement that applicants be both academically successful and resourceful. As a double major in the Honors Forum with a 3.99 GPA, I have displayed my strong work ethic and my ability to rise to intellectual challenges. I have also demonstrated my resourceful nature while working for Sarasota Reads, a program that involves discussing literature with young adults. As a group leader, I have devised numerous creative ways to engage children in the novels we read.For example, I organized a festival for the students to provide information on the social context of one of the books. I believe my academic record and independent, resourceful nature make me extremely qualified for an internship with your company.Working as an arbeitszimmer assistant for the Career Services Office at ABC College, I have acquired skills that will be valuable as a PR assistant. My position ha s helped me gain experience in making phone calls, performing standard office duties, and executing computer efficiency. I have carried out these responsibilities with organization, speed, and accuracy for the past three years.I am confident that my office experience, writing skills, academic record, and resourcefulness are just the qualities you are looking for at Sunrise, Inc.I have enclosed my resume, along with a recommendation from Jim Greenspan, my supervisor at Career Services.I would love the chance to speak further with you about my opportunities with your company.Thank you so much for your time and consideration.Sincerely,Signature (no need to include in an email)First Name Last NameEmail Signature (skip this section in a hard copy letter)Cell 555-555-8745Email yournameabc.edu Expand More Sample Cover Letters Keep browsing and looking for inspiration with these cover letter samplesfor a variety of career fields and employment levels, including an internship cover letter sample, entry-level, targeted, and email cover letters.

The Dos and Donts of Business Email Etiquette

The Dos and Donts of Business Email EtiquetteThe Dos and Donts of Business Email Etiquette Few things can tarnish your professional brand quite like a poorly written, misguided schmelzglas. One click of the send button can be the difference between a successful business exchange and a potential HR issue or coworker conflict. And while Americans send hundreds of thousands of schmelzglass a day, it should leid be taken for granted.Whether youre a senior professional or an office newbie, here are 13 must-remember dos and donts of business email etiquette.Write a clear, concise subject line that reflects the body of the email. Avoid subject lines with,Hi, Touching Base or FYI, and do not leave a subject line blank.Remember Hi and Hey communicate a lack of professionalism and maturity . Begin your email with phrases such as Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening or Hello. Good Day or Greetings are other phrases used frequently in the international arena.In direct cu ltures like the U.S., the best practice is for the sender to introduce themselves by first and last anthroponym with some background information in the first few lines. For example, Dear Ms. Mandell My name is Sharon Schweitzer, founder of Access to Culture I was referred to you by or My name is Sharon Schweitzer and I am an International Business Expert writing to you about This is especially important when introducing yourself to new contacts, potential customers, clients and employers who want to know how you received their contact information.When sending email to people from indirect cultures, it is proper protocol and a best practice to research country customs. For example, in Japan it is polite, appropriate and customary to inquire about the weather in the first sentence of a business email. Contrastingly, it would be inappropriate to send an email introducing yourself to a potential Japanese contact. In indirect cultures, introductions are only made by mutually respected third parties due to custom cold emails are ignored, deleted, blocked and/or marked as junk.Emails can easily be misinterpreted through text without context. Humor is culture-specific. Avoid both humor and sarcasm in e-mails as the recipient may be confused, or worse, offended.When you attach a file, be kind enough to take a few extra seconds to paste it into the body of the email as well. This shows consideration to the recipient, by saving them time and risk in opening attachments. Is this more time consuming for you? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.Avoid using Reply-to-All unless everyone needs to know. When the C-Suite (CEO/COO) or administrative assistant sends an email to 10 staff members requesting volunteers for a community service project, reply to the admin, not to all 10 members. Why make ten others delete your email? Reply-to-All is a function for ongoing deliberations on a particular subject.Replying within 24 hours is common courtesy . Leaving someone hanging for any lon ger and you are not only perceived as rude - it could cost you business in the long run. If youve unintentionally kept someone waiting longer than 24 hours or extenuating circumstances arose, politely explain the situation and express your apologies.Those little winking, smiling icons are for text messages. They are inappropriate and unprofessional in a business email. Emoticons may divert email to a spam filter or junk mailbox. And it can look immature and unprofessional.Email is public. Even though an email is deleted, online services and software programs can access messages on the hard drive. Before you click send consider what may happen if a business colleague, your competitor, an employer, the FBI, or any unintended recipient reads your email. Think of it this way How would my email look if it were posted on Facebook?Its inappropriate to email negative comments. An email in all uppercase letters connotes anger in an email. These antagonistic messages cause awkwardness long after the email has been sent and received. If you must relay badeanstalt news via email, use objective words and state the facts. Face-to-face communication is best when relaying bad news .Check and recheck for spelling and grammatical errors. These errors make you seem unprofessional and will reduce the likelihood that the email will be taken seriously. Email software comes with many professional tools such as spell check - use them.By letting the recipient know that a response isnt needed, the email cycle doesnt continue on in perpetuity. Close with No reply necessary, Thank you again, See you at the board meeting Tuesday or Please let me know if I may be of further assistance. End your email with a closing such as Best, Best Regards, Sincerely, Thank you or another appropriate phrase.Sharon Schweitzer is an international business etiquette expert, author and the founder of Access to Culture .

Learn About Airplane Ownership Options

Learn About Airplane Ownership OptionsLearn About Airplane Ownership OptionsThe cost of aircraft ownership is high, especially for the typical general aviation pilot. But there are ways to reduce the financial burden of buying an airplane, such as entering into an agreement with others to share the cost. There are different ways this type of deal can play out, including co-ownership agreements, partnerships, cooperative and fractional ownership. Here are the pros and cons of the common types of aircraft ownership situations. 01Co-OwnershipAs the simplest agreement of them all, co-ownership is as straightforward as owning an airplane along with someone else. The total cost is divided among the total number of co-owners, and each person is responsible for their share of the cost, including operating and maintenance costs.In a co-ownership situation, each owner is listed as an owner on the bill of sale and aircraft registration certificate.Pros Informal and simple. There is no need to g o through a manager to use the airplane, and usually less restrictive, depending on the type of agreement.Cons In co-ownership situations, there can be disagreements among owners with no leadership authority to make decisions. This can lead to animosity between owners. Depending on the written agreement, owners in a co-ownership situation may run into scheduling conflicts, maintenance disagreements, and financial disputes. Complications can also arise when someone wants to sell their share of the aircraft or if one owner decides not to pay their share.Many people have entered into and survived co-ownership agreements with much success others have failed and felt cheated. While co-ownership can save each owner a lot of money, it can also be a challenge to manage without a designated manager. Nevertheless, its the simplest way to go for casual pilots who would like to reduce the cost of aircraft ownership.02PartnershipA partnership is similar to a co-ownership situation but is actuall y a business formed with the plan of creating a profit. Partnerships occur among flight instructors, flying clubs, and other commercial endeavors.Pros Having multiple owners, or partners, means lower costs and increased profits for businesses.Cons In a partnership, each person is legally liable for the actions of others, making this a riskier venture than a co-ownership.03Cooperative OwnershipA newer type of aircraft ownership category, a cooperative ownership agreement operates more like a time-share or condo investment. A cooperative owner buys the airplane and sells shares to one or more people. The burden of ownership lies with the single owner, who manages everything about the aircraft- hangar rental, insurance, maintenance compliance and pays for all of it. The members pay a monthly fee to on top of an initial investment, and then just show up and fly.Pros Cooperative members get a responsibility-free ownership experience. There are few scheduling conflicts, and they dont hav e to worry about insurance, maintenance or any other costs besides their monthly fee, which is more than a co-ownership but less than a fractional ownership. The aircraft is managed by one person, eliminating the disputes that can be involved with co-ownership. The hourly operating rate is typically much lower than outside of a cooperative agreement.Cons Cooperative members pay a fee for the management of the aircraft, and share the aircraft with up to four people. The aircraft cooperative manager has the final say in all decisions. If a member disagrees with him, the owners opinion trumps the members.For an example of how a cooperative ownership works, check outPlane Pilot.04Fractional OwnershipFractional ownership is one of the oldest methods of sharing aircraft ownership and is used commonly in the corporate environment and involving jet aircraft. Fractional ownership is basically a partnership with multiple buyers at the corporate level. Fractional ownership situations include an aircraft manager and management plan, and often the buyers enter into agreements for 1/6 or 1/8th of the aircraft.Pros Jet aircraft are much cheaper when divided up into four, six or eight shares. Scheduling conflicts are rare, as fruchtwein buyers enter into an interchange agreement that allows the manager to substitute a different aircraft for the buyers own aircraft, allowing the buyer to fly almost anytime they need to. The management company provides a flight crew, fuel, maintenance, and insurance.Cons Fractional deals can become quite costly with the management obtaining a significant amount of money out of the deal in exchange for their management efforts.More information on fractional ownership can be found at NBAA.

Favorite T.I. Games in Air Force Basic Training

Favorite T.I. Games in Air Force Basic TrainingFavorite T.I. Games in Air Force Basic TrainingWith any luck, you will have arrived at Air Force Basic Military Training (AFBMT) in the evening or the night, and this first day wont last very long. Depending on how much time the Military Training Instructor (T.I. for short) has to kill before lights out, you may wind up learning some fun new games like fire exerzieren. This exciting leisure activity is a great time-killer. It involves testing your ability to quickly carry your bags (arent you glad you packed light?) from the drill pad to your bunk, then quickly back down to the drill pad again, lining up in formation. Work to get back in the same location where you were once before in formation. This fire drill alone will make you wish you had packed less than you did. You really do not need much in your travel bag as you will be issued everything you need. After graduation, you can get your favorite clothes and other things you like to wear, read, or play with in your down time. You may not play fire drill, as (from many reports), that game seems to have been replaced by a new game plek em up, and put em down. Speed is the name of the game, and it seems that T.I.s are content to play this game with new recruits for hours and hours. The goal of this game is to do everything as a group, moving the luggage and other gear up and down as a team. This can take hours to perfect in the eyes of the T.I. Another favorite game that T.I.s like to play during that first meeting, is Reporting Statement. This is where everyone gets to stand in formation, holding their civilian luggage, bellowing out the reporting statement, until everyone gets it right (to the T.I.s satisfaction, not yours). Sir, Maam, Trainee Jones Reports as Ordered Its common for new trainees to want to put sir or maam at the end of the reporting statement. Dont do this. The reporting statement is Sir (or Maam), Trainee Jones Reports, as Ordered, not Sir, Trainee Jones Reports as Ordered, Sir, nor is it Trainee Jones Reports, as Ordered, Maam (Note You are not yet an airman, you are a trainee.) My good friend, Pete Tabury explains another favorite T.I. Game When the T.I. says follow me and takes off for the stairway to the dorms, follow him running quickly. I was about the fourth person off the bus and the T.I. told people where to stand when they got off the bus. The first couple of guyswere stacked up with lost looks on their faces. Having heard and understood the instructions by the T.I., I stepped to the front and directed the others to follow suit. When the T.I. came and asked me how the Hell I knew what I was doing, I blasted out my reporting statement and then explained that I was in the Police Explorers for three years and had knowledge of marching and formations He was stunned, and told me that he may make me his dorm chief. Of course, this all fell by the wayside after he did the Pick them up and Put them down ga me. He looked at me and stated in column formation to follow him He then bolted to the doorway and swung it open, since the bags were on the ground I was a couple of steps behind. But I would be darned if I was gonna let him get out of my sight and I was right on his heels sprinting. As I was catching up to him, he was already bounding up the stairs, two and three at a time. I did the same and was closing the gap, that was until he hit the first landing, hit the brakes and did an about face Now he was up about two feet taller than me as I was two steps lower than him and he was screaming in my face from above CAN YOU READ? he asked. Sir, Trainee Tabury reports as ordered, Yes Sir I replied. He then pointed over his left shoulder to the yellow painted cinder block walls and asked me Then what the Hell does that say? And in big black letters it said, Walk, Do Not Run, Use the Hand Rails So, for the next 6.5 weeks, every time we went in and out of the dorms, I had to stand at the b ottom of the stairs and say that phrase to each and every person that entered the dorm from our flight. I will never forget that phrase as long as I live Be prepared to march everywhere together and even by yourself, marching for hours sometimes. You will also be required to run, pt, wear extra gear like body armor and helmet, eat MREs, live in a tent to simulate deployment, and then eventually you will take your final test and see your family for graduation. All of these events and training are under the direct supervision of the T.I. whose job it is to prepare you for being in the Air Force. One day you will thank for T.I. for this training - One day - long after BMT. Want to Know More About Air Force Basic Training? Surviving Air Force Basic Training

Free Word Resume Templates - Overview

Free Word Resume Templates - Overview The Secret to Free Word Resume Templates Getting the most of a resource that wont only help save you time, but is demonstrated to elevate your opportunity of scoring a work simply is logical. The effort that youve to invest to make your resume look like something, is immeasurably small in contrast to the results that can be accomplished with the exact same. Make certain you didnt miss whatever could cost you the job that you dream about Theres no correct or wrong approach to create your resume since, at the conclusion of the day, the primary purpose is to become hired and your updated resume is only one of many tools that could be utilized to impress prospective employers and big businesses. Want to Know More About Free Word Resume Templates? If youre confused because of the numerous fabulous designs youre able to download, dont worry Big number of design style will guarantee you will locate a resume template that fits with your taste. As soon as you have modified the standard resume template that you found on the net, make it simple on your upcoming self and save numerous versions of your resume. The entire assortment of resume templates is composed of an assortment of creative resume designs. In order to produce the perfect resume for yourself, its very important to experience various resume templates hundertprozentig and decide which fits your requirements. There are lots of free resume templates readily available on the web but sometimes it can be quite tough to decide on the best one that is most suited to you. The majority of the templates are supplied by named, resume writing specialists and thus the quality is extremely great. Sometimes all you will need is a timeless style template thats clean, clear and right to the point. What is Really Going on with Free Word Resume Templates The freebie was made by Alamin Mir. Picking a template is an issue of meeting criteria. A few of the templates are free wh ile others cost a couple of dollars. If youre searching for an easy but lovely design thats guaranteed to appeal to any hiring manager than you are in right location. When youre asking for a job which relies on the strengths of the person, you require a resume template that you may inject a little more personality into to make it pop. A lovely, minimal and user-friendly template you can edit depending on your abilities and experience. Once you are finished with selecting the appropriate resume template word, its time to make an application for the proper jobs. Chronological Resume Format is extremely popular with nearly all employers. If you believe that you dont will need to create a resume template then you might want to read further to learn why precisely you will need to learn to compose a resume. The template is easily customised to your liking and includes all essential files for a fehlte nicht viel set-up. It is available in PSD format. Any resume template word you pick is a smart distribution of your professional and individual experiences made to maximize the impacts of the page to highlight your very best traits. Utilizing a template can lower the quantity of time you must spend formatting your document, which permits you to concentrate on adding content and polishing your resume. Word Resume templates are complete with the full outline structure and the majority of the content that produces way for a powerful resume in an issue of only two or three minutes. Utilizing a resume template is now an acceptable and smart practice for numerous reasons.Most resume format word file available for free download so make certain not to waste cash with the thought of getting a better choice. The most important column is spread across the full space to incorporate all of your professional expereinces and expertise. If you want to save a duplicate of the resume to your hard disk then decide on the option Download a Copy. ersatzdarsteller check to m ake certain that everything on the last version of the resume is about you. A Startling Fact about Free Word Resume Templates Uncovered It is possible to download as many resumes as you desire. Professionally, our resumes are often the very first impression a prospective employer gets of us. It is possible to say thats quite opposite of functional resumes that are very traditional. Hence, industry particular resumes are a necessity.

The Definitive Handbook to Resume with Photo

The Definitive Handbook to Resume with Photo The Tried and True Method for Resume with Photo in Step by Step Detail If you think like many job seekers, however, youre include in yur resume a URL to your social networking profiles or personal site, where photos are suggested. With some important data in the appropriate order, everyone can create one. Be certain that your contact information is clear, prominent, and simple to read. All information provided needs to be regarded as fictional.If youre leid certain what information ought to be included filling in the blanks will lead you through the procedure alongside our help and tips. There are two primary trends in 2016. Take your own personal statement and make a research undertaking. List your name, contact number, email address, and city at the peak of your resume. What Everybody Dislikes About Resume with Photo and Why Now you have the template, you may use it over and over. The template is simple to follow, and you ma y begin immediately. Our creative templates let you stick out from the crowd. Each one of our creative style templates offer you a perfectly balanced mixture of personality, professionalism and some style. Get the Scoop on Resume with Photo Before Youre Too Late If you believe a photo will aid your possibility of obtaining a job but, for any reason, you dont wish to include it on your resume, there are alternatives. Inside my mind, very good design gets from the method of the content. In reality, your application may be ignored without one. When youre asking for a job which relies on the strengths of the person, you require a resume template that you could inject a little more personality into to make it pop. The Basic Facts of Resume with Photo In any field wherever your personality or skilled appearance is an essential part of the job, a photo is a great way to demonstrate that off. Its content-packed layout is excellent for engaging employers with different facts, from experience to education. Moreover, photos are usually utilised to establish credibility. A photo can reveal a whole lot of private info about you which does not have any relation to your capacity to do the job. Keep in mind, you may always add more to your LinkedIn to cover extra experiences. Some career experts will tell you that you ought to never, ever place your photo on your resume. Share your work as soon as youre completely satisfied with your design and work, you can share it to the world via your social networking accounts, personal site, or quite a few different channels you might utilize. In reality, studies have found that human photos on the internet can help to construct trust. The Nuiances of Resume with Photo When youre writing your own CV, make sure you highlight your practical experience, and talk about your capacity to understand project requirements and use the best strategies to attain the best outcomes. Based at work and application type with your profi le and experience, you can choose anyone. When it has to do with applying for work, you ought to be in a position to make yourself stick out amidst the rest of the applicants or candidates. Everyone knows that when hunting for work, the very first task you will need to complete for an expected employer is, Send a copy of your resume. Get the Scoop on Resume with Photo Before Youre Too Late In reality, you could always create a compelling and strong resume that may brandish all of your relevant skills and experience for you to ultimately get the job you want. You should do more than just list your prior work experience. Youre searching for an internship or entry-level job, which usually means you have just a couple years experience. Its important to get your resume stand out from the work competition. The very best tool for the majority of jobs is the one that youre most comfortable with. If you dont think you find it possible to compose an outstanding bartending resume then d ont Make certain you didnt miss whatever could cost you the job that you dream about Furthermore, you can look for bartender jobs on Monster. A Secret Weapon for Resume with Photo Bear in mind that formatting may be off based on what browser youre using. If you choose a template, make certain that it follows all the guidelines given below. Each template offers structure, examples and tips so you dont need to start from scratch when creating your resume. In reality, the chronological resume template has become the most traditional resume format. How to Get Started with Resume with Photo? A photo editor modifies photographs utilizing a number of computer editing programs to create a finished image that meets a customers requirements. Likewise when you have a personal website whichincludes your picture, you can incorporate a hyperlink. Once downloaded, the template is readily customizable with Excel, which enables you to create a distinctive photo book every moment. Click these images to look at the resume sample.

Heres What I Know About Technical Skills in Resume for Freshers

Heres What I Know About Technical Skills in Resume for Freshers Technical Skills in Resume for Freshers Secrets If youre interested in receiving work in tech but not certain where to start, a wonderful strategy is to check at job listingsmountains and mountains of job listings. Fortunately, there are various approaches its possible to produce the work search easier on yourself. Getting in a position to communicate complex ideas in a very clear way will make you distinguish yourself in many jobs. Becoming in a position to discover the information that you want to do your occupation is an essential element of working in tech. Describe the way the technical skill you used had a positive effect on the geschftsleben. Hard skills incorporate the particular knowledge and abilities necessary for success in work. They are part of the skill set that is required for a job. Technical job skills play a crucial function in getting hired. After youve looked at several such ads within your intended business, it is going to become more and more clear what hiring managers are looking for (with respect to job skills). Becoming in a position to assure an employer which you have the technical skills they are searching for is the same as saying, I know I am fit for the job. Therefore, employers are increasingly searching for candidates that are acquainted with Agile. The employer will know your degree of work if you are supposed to be given the job. What You Need to Do About Technical Skills in Resume for Freshers Beginning in the Next Ten Minutes Its possible to trust Resume Buddy to help you produce an impeccable resume which will have an enduring impression on the employer. So, to be able to earn a note-worthy entry, you need to have an excellent fresher resume in place. Explain your role and duties in details. The secret to a great IT cover letter is to create a relation to the reader. Proceed to the employers website, to see whether their listing offers additio nal information which may not have made it a work board or a referral from a friend. A bulleted list will ensure it is scannable. There are respective formats to compose a resume. The primary difference between hard skills and soft skills is that hard skills can normally be taught in a string of concrete actions. Be totally clear about everything that you set in the resume. Bear in mind, the majority of the special skills that you set on your resume needs to be job-related skills taken from the work description and your best transferable skills. From SBS Settlement Guide, here are a few methods to have you started. Bigger companies will often want software experts. Big Data is now a critical small business factor, making it even more important for developers to understand how to address large quantities of information. An experienced project manager will have the ability to deliver projects better, use resources cost-effectively and deploy the most suitable staff to finish t he appropriate tasks. Becoming in a position to effectively coordinate resources, people and budgets as a project manager is among the greatest technical skills you may have. Show the employer you have the skills the business requirements. The same holds for planning. There isnt any use in writing things that you just have heard about. An excellent editing job will take just a little longerand some particular tactics intended to catch resume errors. If youre an experience candidate do post your resumes on Forstaffing working with the next link. Also, should you not know the response to a question, do your best not to get whipped up. Provide a review of the jobs youve had previously. If youre just beginning, you might want to place a larger emphasis on education and internships. Its also important to go past the job posting. Resume will let you create beautiful resume in hardly any minutes.

Where The Federal Jobs Are - Department of Treasury

Where The Federal Jobs Are - Department of TreasuryWhere The Federal Jobs Are - Department of TreasuryWhere The Federal Jobs Are Department of TreasuryWHERE THE FEDERAL JOBS AREFEDERAL AGENCY SERIES PART 5 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURYWebsite https//www.treasury.gov/Pages/default.aspxSecretary Jacob J. Lew (2013 present)Headquarters Washington, D.C. with many of the Bureaus having additional locations across the country. Certain offices tasked with international missions also have an overseas presence.Mission To maintain a strong economy and create economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. Governments finances and resources effectively.Strategic Goals For Fiscal Year 2014-2017, Treasury focused and aligned toward 5 primary strategic goalsPromote economic grow th and stability while continuing reforms of the financial systemEnhance U.S. competitiveness and job creation, and promote international financial stability and mora balanced global growthFairly and effectively reform and modernize federal financial management, accounting, and tax systemsSafeguard the financial system and use financial measures to counter national security threatsCreate a 21stcentury approach to government by improving efficiency, effectiveness, and customer interactionNumber of Civilian Employees Over 100,000 employees. The IRS employs approximately 80% of Treasurys staff. Other Departmental entities with a large number of employees are the arbeitszimmer of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.Department of Treasury Organization Structure The Departments Bureaus carry out specific operations and make up 98% of the Treasury workforce offices have primary responsible for policy formulation and management. In the aftermath of 9/11 a nu mber of former Treasury Department Bureaus were transferred in whole or in part to other agencies (e.g., to the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Justice).TIP 1 BEST PLACES TO WORK. Although the Department itself was ranked 16 among 19 large agencies, a number of its Bureaus and amtsstubes received impressive rankings by the Partnership for Public Service as among the Best Places To Work in the Government in 2015. Of 320 Agency sub-components ranked the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau was ranked 7 the amtsstube of the Inspector General for Tax Administration was ranked 9 the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency was ranked 12.BUREAUSAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Collects Federal excise taxes and assures compliance with Federal permitting, labeling, and marketing requirements. The Bureau employs 470 people across the country, including at Headquarters in Washington, D.C., at the National Revenue Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and at its distr ict offices. Analysts, chemists, investigators and auditors make up over half its staff. The Bureau also employs specialists in finance, law, information management, and computer science.Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Develops and produces U.S. currency (Federal Reserve) notes for delivery to the Federal Reserve System. Researches and develops automation to produce U.S. currency notes and defer counterfeit technologies. The Bureau has offices in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas. Its approximately 1,700 employees include chemists, engineers, attorneys, IT specialists, facilities untersttzung staff, acquisition specialists, police officers, security specialists, and administrative support personnel.Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Promotes the U.S. Governments financial integrity and operational efficiency through accounting, financing, collections, payments, and shared services. Delivers inter-agency administrative services, financial management, and information technology ser vices. The Bureau has three (3) locations in the Washington, D.C. area as well as financial centers in Philadelphia, PA and Kansas City, MO. It employs over 3,200 staff. Career opportunities exist for accountants, financial and geschftlicher umgang experts, government securities specialists, IT specialists, and administrative professionals.Community Development Financial Institution Fund. Increases economic opportunity and promotes community development investments for the Nations underserved populations and economically distressed communities. Careers include financial analysis, portfolio and loan management, financial management, compliance management, community development, program management, legal counsel, and information technology.Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Safeguards the financial system from illicit use combats money laundering and promotes national security through collecting, analyzing, and disseminating financial intelligence. Builds global cooperation with co unterpart organizations in other countries and with international bodies. Approximately 250 staff including law enforcement investigators, compliance specialists, financial transaction analysts, IT specialists, intelligence specialists and regulatory examiners.Inspector General. Provides leadership and coordination and recommends policies to prevent and detect fraud and abuse in Department programs and operations. Provides independent and objective reviews of the Departments programs and operations conducts audits, investigations, and evaluations. Oversees the operations of all Treasury Department Offices and Bureaus, with the exception of the IRS and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Has oversight and review responsibility for the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, the IRS Oversight Board, and the Taxpayer Advocate Service.Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The largest of Treasurys Bureaus, the IRS is responsible for determining, ass essing, and collecting internal revenue in the U.S. In 2014, the IRS collected almost $3.1 trillion in revenue and processed almost 240 million tax returns. In addition to its D.C. Headquarters, the IRS has one or more offices in all 50 states. Among its approximately 81,000 full time staff are Internal Revenue officers and agents, tax examiners, tax specialists, tax compliance officers, accountants, budget analysts, economists, statisticians, auditors, industry specialists, special agents, enforcement and criminal investigators, tax law specialists, attorneys, appeals officers, engineers and architects, IT specialists, policy analysts, project managers, research analysts, HR specialists, public affairs specialists, and advocates. The Service also has a variety of seasonal and part-time opportunities.Recent IRS Challenges IRS has seen significant budget cuts in recent years, while also assuming increased responsibilities. Its workforce has been reduced, IT improvements delayed, and enforcement weakened. The IRS estimates that individual and geschftlicher umgang audit rates have fallen to their lowest levels in a decade. The Government Accountability Office recently reviewed the impact of cuts to the agency since fiscal 2010. See gao.gov/assets/680/670968.pdf.TIP 2 Visit the IRS Careers website (https//jobs.irs.gov/), including its Fit Check Tool to assess employment options for Recent Graduates and Mid-Career/Experienced applicants.Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Charters, regulates, and supervises all national banks and federal savings associations as well as federal branches and agencies of foreign banks. In 2011, the former Office of Thrift Supervision became part of this Office. The Comptroller ensures that entities within his jurisdiction operate in a safe, sound and fair manner, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The Office has close to 4,000 employees and is divided into 4 geographic regions with over 70 field offices. Ma ny of its careers focus on bank supervision (e.g., national bank examiners), and business operations (e.g., critical infrastructure officers).U.S. Mint. Primary mission is to manufacture and distribute circulating, precious metal and collectible coins and national medals, and to provide security over assets. In addition to the D.C. headquarters, its Bullion Depository is located in Fort Knox, KY and its production facilities are located in PA, NY, CO, and CA. Employs approximately 1,600 employees including accountants, financial analysts, contact specialists, IT specialists, program analysts, marketing and visual information specialists, police and security specialists.DEPARTMENTAL OFFICES Office of Domestic Finance. Develops and coordinates the Departments legislative and regulatory policies as they relate to retail financial services by banks and nonbank financial services companies.Office of Economic Policy. Supports the Secretary as the principal economic official in the govern ment. Utilizes economic analysis and evaluates current economic data to assist in the determination of appropriate economic policies.Office of General Counsel. Provides legal and policy advice to the Secretary and other senior officials. The General Counsel is also the Head of the Treasury Legal Division, that includes all legal counsels of the Department and their staff (approximately 2,000 attorneys and 1,500 support staff).TIP 3 The Office has a broad range of opportunities for attorneys. There are a number of divisions each headed by an Assistant General Counsel including International Affairs General Law, Ethics and Regulation Enforcement and Intelligence and Banking and Finance. The Office also includes the International Tax Counsel, Tax Legislative Counsel, and Benefits Tax Counsel.Office of International Affairs. Protects and supports U.S. economic prosperity by strengthening the external environment for U.S. growth, preventing and mitigating global financial instability, an d managing key global challenges.Office of Legislative Affairs. Advises the Secretary on congressional relations matters. Assists in formulating policy and determining the Departments overall direction.Office of Management. Principal policy advisor on the development and execution of the budget and the internal management of the Department.Office of Financial Research. The Dodd-Frank Act 0f 2010 established this Office to support the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the Councils member organizations, and the public. Promotes financial stability by measuring and analyzing risks conducts research related to financial stability promotes best practices in risk management and collects and standardizes financial data.Office of Financial Stability. Implements the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to help stabilize the U.S. financial system and promote economic recovery.Office of Public Affairs. Develops and implements communications strategy and advises officials within the Depart ment and its Bureaus regarding communicating issues and priorities of public interest.Office of Tax Policy. Develops and implements tax policies and programs reviews regulations and rulings to administer the Internal Revenue Code negotiates tax treaties and provides economic and legal policy analysis for domestic and international tax policy decisions. Provides estimates for the Presidents budget, fiscal policy decisions, and cash management decisions.Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Develops and implements U.S. Government strategies to combat terrorist financing domestically and internationally. Works to sever the lines of financial support to international terrorists, Weapons of Mass Destruction proliferators, narcotics traffickers, money launderers, and other threats to the Nations national security. Among its components, are The Office of Intelligence and Analysis, responsible for intelligence functions and a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, the policy and outreach office and the Office of Foreign Assets Control, administering and enforcing economic and trade sanctions.TIP 4 Intelligence Analysts should be aware of opportunities advertised from time-to-time with the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. The Office delivers timely, relevant, and accurate intelligence and analysis and produces all-source assessments identifying threats and vulnerabilities.Treasurer of the United States. Oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the U.S. Mint and Fort Knox. Serves as a key liaison with the Federal Reserve and as a senior advisor to the Secretary on matters of community development and public engagement.Civilian Career Fields. Treasury employees work in more than 250 types of jobs includingAccountants (Job Series 0510)Attorneys (Job Series 0905)Budget Analysts (Job Series 0560)Chemists and Engineers (Job Series 1320 and 0801)Contract Specialists (Job Series 1102)Economists (Jo b Series 0110)Financial Analysts and Data Analysts (Job Series 0500)Operations Research (Job Series 1515)Human Resources/EEO Specialists (Job Series 0201 and 0360)Information Technology Specialists (Job Series 2210)Investigators (Job Series 1800)Intelligence Analysts/Specialists (Job Series 0570 and 0132)Management Administrative (Job Series 0301)Marketing Specialists (Job Series 1101)TIP 5 Treasurys Careers website provides a comprehensive overview of careers at Headquarters and the Bureaus, as well as FAQs for applying for positions. You can link to each of the Departments Bureaus and learn more about the types of employment opportunities and current openings.https//www.treasury.gov/careers/Pages/Working-For-Treasury.aspxTIP 6 YouTube Video The Department has posted an innovative video in which real employees talk about working for Treasury and making a difference. Link https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2CH2l6SNms.Current Vacancies There are currently over 40 Department of Treasury General Schedule (GS) vacancies for positions posted in USAJOBS for U.S. Citizens. Many are between the GS-11 and GS-15 levels. Occupations with the most current vacancies areIT Specialist (Job Series 2210)Program Manger (Job Series 0340)Accounting, Budget Finance (Job Series 500)Administrative (Job Series 0301)THE NEXT BLOG IN THE FEDERAL AGENCY SERIES WILL FOCUS ON THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.Need Help with your Federal Resume for a Career with the Treasury?Complete our Request Quote for Federal Resume to ask for a QUOTE for professional writing services for your federal resume. All New and Available Now The Federal Resume Guidebook, 6th EditionStrategies for Writing a Winning Federal ResumeThe Number One Book on Federal Resume Writing 6th Editionis completelyredesigned as a practical workbook, making the complex process of writing a federal resume easy to understand.This book is not just about federal resumes. This book set the standard for federal resumes Kathryn Troutman, Author and PublisherLIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW One of the Books most borrowed in U.S. Libraries, Career Book List, April 1st, 2009 Ellen Lazarus is a Resume Place Certified Federal Job Search Trainer, Federal Resume Writer and Career Coach. She is a former Legislative Branch senior executive.

Does Einsteins brain (and his mind) have anything to teach us

Does Einsteins brain (and his mind) have anything to teach usDoes Einsteins brain (and his mind) have anything to teach usAfter analyzing lost photographs of Einsteins intact brain from his 1955 autopsy it became irrefutable that every lobe of his brain differed from the human norm. Weighing in at 1,230 grams the brain welches not bigger but the cortical architecture welches exceptional. mora important than his gray matter, Einsteins mind taught us about the inner workings of the Very Small (quanta) and the Very Big (space-time curvature of the Universe). The journey of that mind throughout Einsteins 76 years may prove instructive today.Einsteins mind never ceased to be a work in progress which overcame numerous setbacks on its way to scientific immortality.To wit The real Baby Einstein did not begin to talk until well after his second birthday. He did not pass his college entrance exam for what is now called Zurich Polytechnic and had to wait a year for admission. He welches called a lazy dog by his math professor, Hermann Minkowski. In 1900, he graduated fourth out of five students in the program to train teachers in math and physics. The following year he got his girlfriend pregnant and to this day the fate of their daughter, Lieserl, is unknown.He was refused an assistantship at more than one university and did not get regular employment until 1902 when he became a patent clerk third class in Bern. He remained at the Swiss Patent Office until 1909 although in his spare time he was writing (without access to a university library) the six brilliant papers that skyrocketed him during his annus mirabilis (Miracle Year) of 1905.His Nobel (1921 but given in 1922) was awarded not for his Theory of General Relativity (arguably one of the supreme achievements of the Mind of Man) but for his work on the photoelectric effect which was a forerunner of quantum mechanics. Ironically, Einstein vociferously rejected quantum mechanics believing that God does not play dice. So, we see that Einstein encountered more than a few bumps in the road but he most certainly made his way to Scientific Valhalla. Can we hope that his Mind and Brain will teach us how he overcame the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune more than six decades after his death? A few possible lessonsGrow a 4th mid-frontal lobe gyrus. Most human brains have 3 such gyri (ridges) and Einstein had 4 (see Lepore, F., Finding Einsteins Brain, Rutgers U. Press 2018). Although we all can grow about 1,400 new hippocampal neurons daily, a whole gyrus (and its wiring) is not an option).Exploit your familys strengths. Einsteins father and uncle were both mathematically inclined and brought Maxwells equations of electromagnetism to life with electric utility start-ups in Munich and Milan. Einstein did not become the engineer his father wanted but the natural sciences were his familys table talk.Apply what you learn at your job. Being a patent clerk is very different from being a theoretical phys icist. Einstein had to judge the merits of patents for synchronizing railway clocks throughout Europes growing railway systems. This workaday task led him to think deeply about Time and set the stage for his Theory of Special Relativity which dispelled Isaac Newtons myth of absolute universal time.Pick the right problem. Measuring the shift (precession) of Mercurys bahnorbit at 43 arc-seconds per century did not fit with Newtons Law of Gravitation. The time was ripe for a new vision of gravity not as a force but as a field, and the problem of Mercurys orbit was solved by Einsteins Theory of General Relativity.Learn to use new tools. Even with a Miracle Year under his belt in 1905. Einstein did not know enough math to pull off his Theory of General Relativity With a little help from his friends, mostly Marcel Grossman, he learned the arcane mathematics of non-Euclidean geometry and tensor calculus, and the upshot was when General Relativitys spot-on prediction of the bending of starl ight made the World agog in 1919.Not everyone benefits from a mentor. At least Einstein didnt. He avoided indoctrination to the received wisdom of the existing scientific paradigms by not attending graduate school, writing his doctoral thesis while fully employed as a patent clerk outside academe, and not apprenticing himself to senior faculty for a post-doc year. Einstein was free to pursue his own profound thoughts and he thought outside the box simply because he was never permitted to go inside the box.Embrace your cognitive style. By his own admission, Einsteins relied on visual and muscular imagery in his thought (Gedanken) experiments. Once he had visualized the equivalence of gravity and acceleration experienced by the occupant of an accelerating box hauled up by a rope in interstellar space, he could then proceed with mathematical formalisms and write the equations. People think in words, images, abstract symbols, or, as archly intoned by Maynard Keynes thoughts. Choose wha t is best for you.Stay curious. When Einstein was given a compass at age 4 or 5 he felt that something deeply hidden had to be behind things to account for the compass needle unerringly pointing to magnetic North. His curiosity never wavered and in the fullness of time ushered in his radically different view of the universe. The ability to step back and ask why? or how? can fuel the sense of wonder that transforms the daily routine into a path of discovery.Persevere. On the day he died, next to his hospital bed were 12 pages of equations that Einstein had written in a further attempt to reconcile quantum theory with gravity a unified field theory. Einstein struggled throughout the last decades of his life but failed to find this Holy Grail of physics. Were still looking and the latest iteration of this Theory of Everything is String Theory with 11 dimensions (10 spatial and 1 temporal) Was there a point to Einsteins last doomed struggle to wrest an Ultimate Truth beyond Robert Loui s Stevensons encouragement that to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive? You bet there was that selfsame dogged determination brought forth the coruscating brilliance of the Theory of General Relativity after 10 years of unsuccessful attempts from 1905 to 1915.If you adopt these 9 lessons (some fanciful) from the life of a visionary 20th-century theoretical physicist, your personal success is not assured (and Einstein would be the first to tell you so). He was most certainly a genius and possibly the foremost genius of our times but on a human scale, his ability to confront his personal and professional problems will serve well as a North Star 63 years after his death.Frederick E. Lepore MD is a professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology at Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. He is a clinical neuro-ophthalmologist, the author of a biography of a brain - Finding Einsteins Brainand over 125 scientific articles, and designer of the Optic Nerve Test Car d. Dr. Lepore is also the father of Ladders Deputy Editor, Meredith Lepore.

How to Respond to Behavioral Interview Questions

How to Respond to Behavioral Interview Questions How to Respond to Behavioral Interview Questions When you’re preparing for an interview there are hundreds of questions to get ready for, including the following that we’ve covered on this blog: What Major Challenges and Problems Have You Faced? How Have You Dealt With a Difficult Customer? Tell Me About a Time When Something Went Wrong What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment? What Was Your Biggest Mistake? As you know, it can be incredibly stressful to narrow down which questions are likely to be asked and how you should answer them. But have you ever wondered if there was an easier way to prepare? Fortunately, there is. All of the questions listed above have something in common that you can use to craft a perfect answer every time: they’re behavioral interview questions and the hiring manager is asking them to understand how you work. What Are Behavioral Interview Questions? Behavioral interview questions are questions about your past job performance and how you behaved under certain circumstances. These questions often begin with phrases like “Tell me about a time…” and “Can you share an example of…” and they focus on different skills for different jobs, such as time management, communication, adaptability, teamwork and protocol. Behavioral interview questions aren’t always negative, though many of the questions will address a challenging or difficult situation because the hiring manager wants to understand how you work under pressure. Why Do Interviewers Ask Behavioral Interview Questions? Are hiring managers trying to torture you? Definitely not. While these questions can be uncomfortable to answer, there really is a purpose to asking them. They are a great opportunity for an interviewer to understand whether or not you’re someone who learns from mistakes and recovers from them quickly, and if you are self-aware and sensitive to your surroundings. How Should You Answer Behavioral Interview Questions? We’ve addressed how to answer behavioral interview questions  briefly in the past, but it’s worth digging a little deeper to make sure you craft an answer that you can tweak for any behavioral interview question. The best way to answer this kind of question is to familiarize yourself with the STAR Method, which stands for Situation/Task, Action and Result. Addressing these parts of a story in order organizes your answer in a way that answers the behavioral interview question and gives the interviewer a polished look at how you recover from surprises at work. Here’s a brief look at how this might take shape with a story about failure: Situation/Task: My manager launched a new website product offering for our clients, and our team was very excited about it. As a junior salesman my manager set a sales goal of 15 new clients per month. Unfortunately, I failed to meet that goal. Action: My biggest issue at that time was being too shy to follow up on leads that came through personal connections. I had very strong ideas about who I was supposed to sell to and how I would meet my sales goals. Result: I decided to speak with my manager about this block, and he recommended several excellent books on sales by Zig Ziglar. I read them all and formed a close mentor relationship with my manager. With his coaching I exceeded that sales goal within 90 days. Ever since I’ve had a lot more confidence in selling and making relationships with prospective clients. As you can see, this method is short and sweet and allows you to craft your response for different questions as they come up. This question happened to be about failure, but the same format (and possibly the same situation) could be tweaked to answer other behavioral questions about a mistake you made, a difficult customer situation you handled and more. How do you approach behavioral interview questions? Do the answers come easily to you, or do you have more practicing to do?

How to Sell IT Services and Hardware

How to Sell IT Services and Hardware How to Sell IT Services and Hardware Go to most any business office, from the very small to those with a global reach, and you will find at least one thing in common: Computers. They are in every office, in most homes, hidden in pockets in the form of smartphones  and carried in the form of tablets. And over 95% of these computers are connected to a network. That network may be the internet, or it could be connected to a LAN, WAN, MAN, or a MAN. They are part of topologies known as token rings, meshes, buses, and stars. And they represent a tremendous opportunity for technology-minded sales professionals. A Brief Overview of IT Sales Positions The world of computers and networks can be a confusing world. There seems to be no end to rapid changes that seem to change everything in the IT world. But there are some constants and consistently emerging trends that have created several IT-based sales careers. In general, IT-based sales positions fall into the categories of hardware, software, and services. And while each is connected to the others (kind of like being part of the same network), they are unique from each other. Hardware Sales In the often confusing world of IT, the easiest parts to understand is the hardware. Essentially, if you can touch it, it is hardware. Hardware includes things like computers, switches, routers, hubs, monitors, servers, racks, blades and on and on. While the industry may be moving away from all this hardware, it is still a long way away from being hardware-free. The hardware sales industry is a very mature industry, meaning that there are many competitors selling the same things, with different price tags, different value adds, and different bundled services. (More on services later.) What this competition and maturity have created is a selling environment that yields very little profit. When computers were first popularized, adding 25 to 30% profit to a deal was the norm. That profit margin has continued and continues to contract. Since very few individuals can earn an income selling hardware alone, most manufacturers either have  inside sales forces that dial for dollars and sell their equipment at whatever price point that the market will bear, getting into a career as an IT hardware sales professional is probably not the most attractive option for many. Software Sales Computers would be useless if not for the software that ran on them. Whether the software is operating systems or accounting software, software sales are a billion dollar industry. And beyond the software that can be downloaded from the internet or purchased at your local big box store, are software sales professionals. Software sales professionals are responsible for selling one specific type of software, often to a very specific industry. Software designed for the management of a dentist office is an example of industry-specific software. And most likely, the salesperson selling the software to the dentists of the world just sell software to dentists. The reason for this specialty is to make sure that the sales professionals know  the software inside and out. These custom designed software packages are almost always considered expensive and having someone who also has to have a full understanding of several software packages would limit their effectiveness. Though not always the case, software sales professional earn significant incomes. That is as long as they sell! The challenge with these positions is that sales cycles are usually quite long, making the time between commission checks equally lengthy. But if you can live on the salary alone and have confidence in your ability to deliver, software sales may be a perfect choice for you. Selling IT Services Unless a business has an IT expert (or a team of experts) on staff, they are going to need help navigating their way through the world of IT. It is where an IT Services sales professional comes into play. And this is where a good sales professional can earn an incredible income. Services come in many forms, from the simple service of running network cabling through a building to providing consulting services to a corporation as they consider virtualizing their data center. Services range greatly, as do the income potential of those selling the services. Services are the glue that pulls the IT Sales world together. Those in IT Service Sales sell hardware solutions, coupled with software and often bundled with installation services. One rep that sells it all. Most IT service sales professionals work with a team of professionals who are experts in certain areas of the IT world, thus eliminating the almost impossible task of having to be an expert in everything. Final Words The world of IT sales is an every expanding one that is well suited for those with the technical aptitude, are willing to work in a rapidly changing world and who are money motivated. If you focus on just hardware, you may make plenty of sales, but your profits will be low. Sell nothing but hardware and your profits will be high but your sales will be infrequent and complicated. Sell services and combine the best of both hardware and software and open up a whole other world to explore and to earn income in.

11 lessons learned from 4 years of intermittent fasting benefits warnings

11 lessons learned from 4 years of intermittent fasting â€" benefits warnings 11 lessons learned from 4 years of intermittent fasting â€" benefits warnings “It’s a scientific fact that you need to eat breakfast every morning to lose weight.” “You shouldn’t skip breakfast or meals, it’s not healthy. You have to eat six small meals every day.”“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”I remember hearing these statements during a short conversation with my friend about weight loss, exercise and fasting.During this conversation, I tried to share a new way of thinking about weight loss and healthy living. After all, if there’s a different way that could help you achieve the same goal with less time and effort, why not try it?Just like my friend, I was initially skeptical about trying anything new to improve my weight loss, mental and physical health.But, after a while, I decided to self experiment with skipping breakfast and an “intermittent fasting” plan.After 4 years of integrating intermittent fasting into my lifestyle, I can now say that this has been one of the best decisions of my life.Here’s what I’ve learned w ith some insights that may be useful for you. But, first, let’s briefly cover what intermittent fasting means.What is intermittent fasting?In layman’s terms, intermittent fasting is simply a pattern of eating. It’s not a diet plan, it’s just a conscious decision to skip meals, like breakfast, on purpose.You would “intermittently” eat during a short time window of the day and “fast” for the rest of the day.For example, I typically skip breakfast and eat my first meal around 11 am and freely eat till 7 pm that evening. After 7 pm, I purposely don’t eat till 11 am the next day.This type of intermittent fasting is called the ‘16/8’ fasting because you don’t eat for 16 hours of the day and only eat during a specific 8-hour window.You can also reduce or increase the eating window on different days.For example, on my workout days, I typically prefer to exercise in a ‘fasted state’, so my first meal is usually later in the day around 2 pm. In these cases, my eati ng window is 5 hours and my fasting period is 19 hours.There are many variations of intermittent fasting including the ‘24 hour’ fasting and so on.Since this article is primarily about my experiences with intermittent fasting over the past 4 years, I may address the science of how intermittent fasting works for weight loss, health and so on, in a separate article.Good and bad lessons from 4 years of intermittent fasting1. Intermittent fasting isn’t a ‘starvation’ diet, it’s a healthy lifestyle.Whenever the average person first hears about intermittent fasting, they usually say, “oh yeah, I’ve done that before, you mean like starving yourself to lose weight right?” Wrong!Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle. It’s a way of living that you could sustain for the rest of your life.The by-product of this is weight loss, improved mental and physical health etc.So far, intermittent fasting has not been detrimental to my health. In fact, it’s actually improved my health significantly over time.2. Listen to your body on what you should eat.One of the most common queries on fasting is about the intermittent fasting diet plan. But, as I’ve covered earlier this is not a diet plan, it’s an eating pattern and a lifestyle.During the eating window, you can eat any combination of healthy foods.The most important lesson I’ve learned about ‘what to eat’, is to listen to your body and eat according to this.For example, if you feel tired and drained after eating rice or grains, you could try eating more vegetables instead. If you feel more energized after doing this, that’s your body’s way of telling you to stick to vegetables and avoid consuming high carb foods.This is why I’m a strong advocate against a ‘fixed’ diet. Our bodies are constantly changing as we get older, plus, eating the same meals every day increases the odds of developing food intolerance and diseases.Thankfully, I came across this idea of ‘eating by listening to your bod y’ whilst reading the work of internationally renowned holistic health expert, Paul Chek - specifically, in his book How to Eat Move and Be Healthy.The key lesson here is to consistently listen to your body and experiment with different foods for optimal health.3. Intermittent fasting benefit: it simplifies your life.Before I practiced intermittent fasting, I obsessed about waking up early to cook breakfast, prep 6 meals a day and so on.Even though I made some progress towards my health goals - fat loss, muscle gain and so on - I struggled with consistency because this routine was tedious.Nowadays, my life is a lot more simple. I eat one or two major meals a day, I don’t obsess about what I eat and still make consistent progress to improve my strength and health every day.Simplifying my life in this way has freed up more time and energy to focus on what really matters to me.4. Expect your results to slow down after a year or so.During my first year of intermittent fasting in 2013, I lost a lot of fat and got into the best shape of my life.But, after my first year, my weight and fat loss, reduced significantly till I no longer noticed much of a difference.This makes sense, since your body can only lose so much fat till it’s detrimental for your health.5. Intermittent fasting plus high intensity interval training equals rapid fat loss.If you want to lose fat as quickly as possible, I’d recommend you introduce any form of training that has high intensity.For example, when I first started out with intermittent fasting, I introduced 10 minutes of sprinting 3x a week, plus weekly football matches.You could pick anything you enjoy doing, i.e. Swimming, skipping, jogging, then raise the intensity till you’re gassed out after every workout.In addition, training like this on an empty stomach also helped to improve my results.I’m not exactly sure about the science behind why training on a fasted state could aid fat loss, but, I’d recommend you experiment with this as well.Intuitively, it makes sense why this works. Fasting helps to reduce the amount of calories you consume, whilst the high intensity training burns more calories.Your daily calorie intake drops significantly and over time you lose more fat. Simple.6. Intermittent fasting can improve your discipline, focus and productivity.During my fasting window, up till 1 pm on most days, I get a lot more work done than if I had breakfast when I woke up.Once I break my fast with the first meal, my energy levels drop, I lose focus and feel lethargic.For this reason, I’ve scheduled my most important tasks before I break my fast. This allows me to match my peak energy levels with my top priorities, resulting in high levels of productivity.Another observation I’ve noticed is that the discipline of fasting every day, has significantly improved my discipline across the rest of my life.Once I started intermittent fasting, I developed the willpower to start new habits - eating healthy , sleep early, reading more and so on.This is the power of a keystone habit.7. Intermittent fasting can reduce your discipline, focus and productivity.This may appear to contradict the previous point, but think about it, a hungry man can also be a grumpy man.In other words, when fasting, it’s easy to lose focus and get agitated because you’re really hungry.This is why it’s so important to listen to your body, instead of sticking to a fixed regimen.I’ve noticed that there’s a sweet spot every day - a time period to stop your fasting window.If you break your fast too early, you’ll miss out the energy that could have been used to get more work done.If you break your fast too late, you’ll start to get agitated and lose focus during the day.Every day is different, so it’s about trial and error.8. Intermittent fasting could make your diet worse.Following on from the previous point, when you’re really hungry and break your fast, it’s easy to overeat unhealthy or nutrie nt empty foods.This has been one of my biggest challenges with intermittent fasting.It takes human discipline to fast every day. But, it takes superhuman discipline to fast and maintain a clean diet every day.The reason is that when you’re fasting, your body is low on sugar and energy. It craves high carb foods with sugar as well.Whilst, you could still achieve your weight loss and aesthetic goals without eating a clean diet, over the long run this may be detrimental to your health.The best way I’ve found to prevent this overeating tendency after breaking the fast is to design your environment for success and drink as much water as possible throughout the day.9. Intermittent fasting could contribute to muscle mass loss or gain.During my 2nd year of intermittent fasting, I injured my lower back doing back squats and was told to stay off weights indefinitely.I was already in great shape and figured that everything would stay the same. So, I replaced my weight training with Pilates and stretching exercises.In addition, I started a body detox program, which involved removing high-carb foods from my diet for a couple of months.Within a couple of weeks, my muscle mass significantly reduced to the point that my clothes didn’t fit as well anymore.The detox program and intermittent fasting protocol drastically reduced my daily calorie intake, contributing to muscle loss.Once I recovered, I restarted my weight training program and increased my carb intake, whilst retaining the intermittent fasting protocol.Within a couple of months, I regained my physical shape and built back up the muscle that I had initially lost.The key lesson here is that calorie intake matters - a lot!10. Intermittent fasting works because you consume fewer calories.Just like any newbie, during my first year of intermittent fasting, I believed that I had discovered the magic formula to weight loss and healthy living.I would preach to everyone about how this was the only way to achieve their health goals because it worked so well for me.Over the years, as I experimented more, I discovered that the reason why intermittent fasting can be so effective for weight loss is simply because it forces you to eat less food.The less food you eat, the less calories you consume and the more weight you lose.It’s really that simple. It’s not magic.Some people who try intermittent fasting dismiss it by complaining that it doesn’t work. But, in most cases, they failed to track their calorie intake.Intermittent fasting is simply another tool to help you reduce the amount of calories you consume. But, if you choose to overeat junk food after your fast every day, you could actually end up putting on more weight than before!In other words, as I’ve said before, the amount of calories you consume every day matters a lot.Intermittent fasting should not be used as an excuse to indulge in your favourite ice cream or lose discipline with eating healthy.This is why you could also achieve yo ur health goals by eating 6 or more meals a day.As long as the total calories you consume every day is less than what you use to move and live, you’ll lose weight over time.11. Don’t let intermittent fasting prevent you from living your life.The biggest lesson I’ve learned during my 4 year journey of intermittent fasting, is to stop worrying about being perfect and live your life regardless.During my first year, I refused to break my fast outside of my eating window.I would travel on holidays to new places, skipping the experience of trying out new food from a different culture because I was “fasting.”I used to be very rigid and fixed about my intermittent fasting protocol. But, over time, I’ve learned that there’s more to life than achieving my exercise, diet or fitness goals.I still work towards my health goals every week, but I don’t beat myself up if I’m not up to par.Sometimes, I have a meal for breakfast instead of fasting. Sometimes, I break my fast at the r ight time, but indulge in eating unhealthy food.At the end of the day, I can only pick myself up from where I left off.Is intermittent fasting healthy? or is intermittent fasting bad for you?Intermittent fasting may or may not work for you. It’s a healthy lifestyle change that I strongly vouch for because it simplifies my life and frees up more time to focus on what really matters to me.During the pursuit of our goals, we tend to lose sight of the big picture of life and miss out on memorable moments with the people who matter to us.Keep experimenting to find what works for you, but always remember to enjoy the journey. Because, you can always lose or gain with respect to your health goals, but you can never get back time.Mayo Oshin writes at  MayoOshin.com, where he shares practical self-improvement ideas and proven science for better health, productivity and creativity.  To get practical ideas on how to stop procrastinating and build healthy habits, you can join his free weekly newsletter  here.

SelfDriving Cars Speed Ahead

SelfDriving Cars Speed Ahead SelfDriving Cars Speed Ahead Chris Gerdes isnt your typical car guy. Yes, he likes to drive fast and push his vehicle to the limits, but he takes the tinkering to accomplish all of that to a completely different level. Fitting an Audi TTS with a bevy of sensors that track every nuance of performance, the head of Stanford Universitys Dynamic Design Lab is pushing the limits of driverless car performance. The goal is to develop better safety systems for the next generation of vehicles, whether they are driverless or not. Already the Stanford Audi has performed on the Utah Salt Flats, climbed Pikes Peak and raced to 120 mph on Californias Thunderhill Raceway, finishing the twisting 3-mile road course in under two and a half minutes. Thats all without someone sitting behind the steering wheel, and the track time is slightly less but comparable to a standard race car driven by a professional driver. Despite the technological advancements, Gerdes, who has a PhD in mechanical engineering, is more than impressed with human driving performance. Race car drivers process speed and braking by getting a feel for the track through the steering wheel. It really amazes me how quickly race car drivers are able to handle this, he says. In a couple of laps, they can determine the cars limits. How are they able to do it? Researchers are attempting to combine biological data from race car drivers with performance data to improve driverless cars. Image: Stanford University Breaking down Driving To boost performance, Gerdes and his students are tapping brain waves of race car drivers to try and understand what decisions are cognitive and what are based on instinct or experience. Integrating those results with vehicle dynamic data will better use an autonomous cars capabilities, he believes. Gerdes has been working on autonomous driving systems since the 1990s, first on early GPS systems for farm tractors and later with Daimler Benz. In 2009 at Stanford, Volkswagen approached the design lab to help with design of robotic race cars for road and rally racing. That dovetailed with Gerdess vision of developing safety systems. If you look at what race car drivers are able to do it could be a fantastic lesson for safety systems, he recalls. Stanfords program certainly isnt the only one looking at self-diving cars. There are many other university programs and labs, including Carnegie Mellon University, where General Motors is helping fund an automated driving research project. But all self-driving cars rely on three things: sensors for understanding the cars surroundings, algorithms that decide what actions are needed based on sensor readings, and actuators that steer and brake the car to perform the necessary actions or maneuvers. The Stanford Audi is fitted with a two-antennae differential GPS system, accelerometers and gyroscopes to report exactly what the car is doing on the road. Gerdes says it reports the cars exact location to a couple of centimeters and measures how much the tires slip relative to the road, the main factor in determining how much of the tires capabilities are being used. Friction It is all about friction, says Gerdes. When you look at the effort it takes to turn the wheels of a car, a skilled driver knows how much torque to put on the [steering] wheel, translating into the cars attaining peak friction capability, he says. In the lab, Gerdes and his team have figured out how to calculate friction, which is the capability of the car, or its limits, through sensors on the electric power steering system. Their algorithms that drive the car process all of the data from the sensors and arrive at a driving path and commands to the actuator. And it seems to work remarkably well, as the Audi speeds to 120 mph on track straightaways, and slows enough to take turns efficiently. But the autonomous car cant quite beat the speeds of a professional driver so Gerdes is looking to neuroscience and biology to try and bridge the gap. Signal processing is one thing we do very well in our lab, he says. Gerdes is looking at brain waves and other data such as heart rate and temperature of race car drivers fitted with sensors and electrodes as they drive around the track. To interpret that, the team includes a post-doctoral researcher and Gerdes says the lab will soon collaborate formally with Stanfords school of medicine. Integrating all of that biological information with the cars dynamic data could show them how to improve the autonomous driving capabilities. Coming Soon Fully autonomous driving may not be that far away. Three statesCalifornia, Nevada, and Floridapermit self-driving cars and Google is leading the way with its self-driving project. The National Highway Safety Foundation in June issued guidelines for states and is laying the groundwork for national regulations when they become commercially available. For now, the agency only wants the technology used in tests and to be fitted to allow a driver to take over in case of a malfunction. In the near term, Gerdes envisions driverless safety systems working with drivers to help them out of dangerous situations, such as adjusting speed in a turn. Given how he and his team love to drivea trait most likely shared by much of the motoring publiche is not keen on eliminating the driver behind the wheel. Figuring out how to make technology work cooperatively in dangerous situations is the research challenge. While pushing the car to its limits and driving very fast provides everyone on the team with thrills, the work is all tied to developing systems for safer driving, either autonomously or with a person behind the wheel. Ultimately were developing safety systems, says Gerdes. Register for a free webinar on the latest developments in automotive technology. For Further Discussion Ultimately we’re developing safety systems.Prof. Chris Gerdes, Stanford University

6 reasons why your boss doesnt trust you

6 reasons why your boss doesn't trust you 6 reasons why your boss doesn't trust you Studies reveal that one of the main reasons employees are dissatisfied at work is because of their relationship with their  manager. While it is a  manager’s responsibility  to establish a positive and productive work environment built on trust, employees play a large part in building or breaking that. Rather than place the blame on the boss, we’ll explore how employees can impact working relationships.Great working relationships are built on trust. In training and coaching employees, I help them become aware of the behaviors that build or break trust among  management  and teams. Now, if it seems like your boss doesn’t confide in you, it may be because of any of these six reasons.You don’t follow through on your responsibilitiesSomewhere down the line, you may have dropped the ball. Maybe you were given a deadline and didn’t follow through on your commitments. Perhaps you over promised and underdelivered. If you don’t know how to do the job, seek or ask for help; the alt ernative will reveal itself later in poor performance or sub par work. Whatever the circumstances, your lack of follow through on your responsibilities will break down your boss’s trust in you to handle future assignments. If you noticed that you’re being passed up on opportunities or not given as many  responsibilities  as your colleagues, it may just be because your boss no longer trusts in you to get the job done.You refuse to accept responsibility for your mistakesRather than make excuses or blame your circumstances on others, accept responsibility and accountability for your mishaps. Not taking responsibility for your actions will quickly make your teammates and boss lose trust in you. Admitting where you went wrong will help you earn trust and respect from your colleagues. You’ll set a good standard for your team to own up to their mistakes as well. They’ll relate to you for simply being human.You don’t get along with your teamIf you tear down your teammates rather t han build them up, your boss will lose confidence in you. A manager prefers to have team members who lead and lift one another up. If you throw your  colleagues  under a bus and criticize their behaviors, then it will be difficult for your boss to see you as a leader. Even if you’re a top performer, this still stands.   You may think you’re doing your boss a favor by complaining about how your teammates aren’t pulling their weight, but that is far from the truth. Your boss is challenged with building and managing a team to perform and get along well. Rather than tear your teammates down, step up as a leader to help build your teammates up. You’ll earn major respect from your boss.You complain instead of finding solutionsRather than focus on all challenges in your job, seek solutions. If you’re constantly  complaining, frustrated and pointing out problems, then your boss will lose trust in your ability to help the company make progress. All great companies go through their share of challenges and growing pains. Focus on the progress and help implement solutions. This will earn you the trust of your team and employer. You want your boss and teammates to see you as the victor who focuses on the gains, rather than the victim who focuses on the pain.You lieIf you exaggerate or twist the truth, you will lose trust. Many employees think that by hiding the truth, they’re protecting themselves and others from potential negative consequences. If you make a mistake, own up to it and turn it into a learning opportunity. If you said something that offended somebody in your office, apologize. You will earn respect for being sincere, honest and  human. When an employer has to puzzle together the pieces and investigate all sides of a scenario, it’s easy for them to lose the trust of employees who blatantly lie, exaggerate or hide the truth. Separate your feelings from the facts of the matter.You cause office dramaGossip, negativity and drama are distracting to t he business. If you’re participating in office  drama, whether it’s escalated to your manager or not, it creates a ripple effect and impacts office culture. The last thing a busy boss wants to deal with is drama. When drama brews, the best thing to do is to mind your own business or try to nip it in the bud.An employee who has good character and consistently demonstrates competence will build trust. This happens over time. Although it’s tough to mend trust that’s broken, take these as lessons learned and try to tip back the scale to earn back your boss’s trust.This post was originally published on Fairygodboss.

Tips for Writing an Email Cover Letter

Tips for Writing an Email Cover Letter Tips for Writing an Email Cover Letter When youre sending an email cover letter, its important to follow the companys directions on how to submit your cover letter and resume, as well as to make sure that your email cover letters are written as well as any other professional correspondence you send. Tips for Writing an Email Cover Letter Write in paragraphs of about two to four sentences and use proper grammar and spelling, just as you would in any other letter. Though this should be a given, avoid including emoticons or images of any sort. Perhaps more important than formatting, though, is the content of your cover letter. You can review these email cover letter samples below, but be sure to personalize them when you apply for jobs.   You should tailor these samples not just to your own experience, but also to each job you’re applying for. Pay close attention to the detail of the job description - specifically, the responsibilities and requirements- and make sure your cover letter reflects how you are a good fit for these requirements. Email Cover Letter Example Subject: Store Manager Position - Your NameDear Hiring Manager,I read your job posting for the Store Manager position with interest, as the qualifications you are seeking match closely with my professional skills and experience.I can offer XYZ Company:- Over five years of retail management experience- Ability to effectively hire, train, and manage staff- Payroll management, scheduling, reports, and inventory control expertise- Extensive work with visual standards and merchandising high-ticket itemsIn addition to my extensive retail experience, I have excellent communication skills. I always maintain a gracious and professional manner when communicating with people, including customers and store staff. My broad experience and range of skills make me a superior candidate for this position.My resume, which is below, provides additional information on my background and qualifications. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible to arrange a time for an interview.Thank you for your consideration.Paul JonesPhoneEmail Address Expand Attaching the Letter to an Email Take note of how the company requests you submit your cover letter; for example, you may be instructed to attach your cover letter along with your resume. In this case, make sure your cover letter is either in Word document form or is a PDF file.   Pasting the Letter into the Email If you paste your cover letter into the body of your email, keep your text in the default font of your email provider. Make sure the text is readable and formatted correctly. For example, avoid long paragraphs or, alternately, a bunch of stacked, short sentences. How to Send an Email Cover Letter When applying for employment via email, copy and paste your cover letter into the email message or write your cover letter in the body of an email message. Heres how to  send an email cover letter. More Email Cover Letter Message Samples Here is a list of more email cover letter samples you can use to get started. This list includes examples of cover letters that target specific types of jobs (full-time, part-time, summer, and volunteer) as well as email cover letters to use at different transitional stages in your career (promotions, job transfer requests). Email Cover Letter SampleEmail Cover Letter Sample With Attached ResumeEmail Inquiry LetterSample Cover Letter With Salary HistorySample Cover Letter With Salary RequirementsSample Email Cover Letter - Part-Time JobSample Email Cover Letter - Summer JobSample Email Message - Volunteer PositionSample Formatted Email Cover Letter MessageJob Promotion Email Cover LetterJob Transfer Request Email MessageJob Transfer Request Email Message - Relocation Email Cover Letter Formatting Examples For more information about how to format your cover letter, check out the following links: Address an Email Cover LetterEmail Cover Letter Subject Line ExamplesEmail Cover Letter Salutation ExamplesEmail Cover Letter Closing Examples Email Cover Letter Templates Email Cover Letter TemplateEmail Cover Letter FormatMicrosoft Email Templates

Phone Interview Tips to Stay Calm and Speak Confidently

Phone Interview Tips to Stay Calm and Speak Confidently Phone Interview Tips to Stay Calm and Speak Confidently Interviews over the phone can be just as daunting as meeting face-to-face. They’re often short, so you feel pressured to make the most of the time. You can’t see your interviewer’s body language or facial expressions, which makes it harder to build rapport and gauge receptivity. And that reduced nonverbal communication can lead to interruptions or awkward silences. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but like any part of the job seeking process, you have more control than you think. A little preparation goes a long way toward helping you feel and sound calm and confident in your upcoming phone interview. Surprisingly, your nonverbal communication still plays an important role in phone interviews- your body language and breathing determine your voice tone. There are physical things you can do to keep your nerves under control and convey credibility. Below, I share a few suggestions for preparing in advance, then some phone interview tips for once the call begins. How to Prepare for Phone Interview 1. Make good posture a habit On the phone, an interviewer won’t be able to see your posture, but they’ll sense it through the sound of your voice. In addition, good posture helps you breathe better, which makes you feel calmer and sound confident. But when you’re in the thick of answering difficult questions, posture is the last thing on your mind! If you want access to the power and credibility good postures brings during your phone interview, you need to make standing (or sitting) up straight a habit. Set reminders during the day to check in and correct how you’re holding yourself. Find “hacks” that force you to use good posture; for example, one person I worked with adjusted the rearview mirror in his car so that he could only see out of it if he was sitting up straight. Take a minute or two every day while you’re job hunting to practice good posture during mock interviews. The more comfortable you are with good nonverbal skills, the more naturally they will come to you when you need them. 2. Create a “Story Answer Bank” Some companies give out interview questions in advance so that candidates can prepare answers. But even when that’s not the case, there are zillions of online resources that will provide you with possible interview questions and suggestions for answering them. Take the time to think of answers in advance.   Related: How to Answer the “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview QuestionHow to Answer: What Are Your Salary Expectations?10 Common Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers In addition, come up with half a dozen or so stories from your past employment that illustrate things like challenges overcome, innovation and creativity, conflict resolution, etc. Most people find it hard to sift through their work experience on the spot to come up with a relevant example in a phone interview. You will feel calm and confident knowing you have a bank of stories to draw from when needed. 3. Practice out loud Yes, OUT LOUD. Introduce yourself, tell some stories, and answer some questions out loud before you’re on the phone. If you feel weird talking to yourself (unlike me), find a friend who will roleplay with you and pepper you with questions. When you say things out loud, you get to know your content better. You’re involving more of your body (vocal chords, for example) and senses (you can hear yourself), which utilizes more of your brain. Also, you’d be astonished at how unfamiliar your own thoughts sound when you’re hearing them come out of your mouth for the first time. What makes sense in your head doesn’t always sound as good spoken. Your answers will be much more fluid and accessible to you in the interview if you’ve said them out loud before. As a presenter, the one part of a speech or workshop that I rehearse the most is the opening two minutes. You’d think that introducing myself and my content would be the easiest part! But it takes awhile to get into a rhythm and I don’t want my first few sentences to be a mess of verbal stumblings. Neither do you. Practice introducing yourself. Out loud. It’s also important to rehearse your stories. When I first started preparing presentations, I’d say to myself, “At this point, I’ll tell the story about the lady who stole my chickens,” and then I’d mangle it in the actual delivery. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to add irrelevant details, get it out of order, or miss the point entirely. Stories only make an impact when they’re well told. Practice your stories. Out loud. 4. Set the stage On the day of your phone interview, create an atmosphere that will help you. Dress as you would for an in-person interview. You might be tempted to “show up” in jammies, since the interviewer won’t see you. But suitable clothing gets you in the right mindset and helps you feel more confident. If possible, find a private space for the interview where you can stand. This will help you with the posture and breathing mentioned before. Using a headset will also improve your posture and allow you the use of your hands. Movement and gestures can often help get the right words flowing. Whatever you choose to do, you know yourself best. Choose an environment that will contribute to calm confidence. Okay… it’s showtime! Now you’re on the phone. Here are some nonverbal communication tips that will help you stay calm and sound confident. As with the posture, practicing them beforehand helps. Nonverbal Phone Interview Tips 1. Feel your feet This is a trick I use when I’m nervous to stay grounded. Feel the floor supporting you. This also brings awareness to your whole body, which calms you down. Getting in touch with your physical senses reduces anxiety. When you’re aware of your feet and feeling grounded, you almost can’t help but have good posture! That stability will lead to fewer nervous tics- rocking back and forth, drumming fingers, fiddling with things, tapping feet- which can affect the sound of your voice. 2. Keep your hands free Avoid folding your arms, clasping your hands, or putting your hands in your pockets. I know, I know… no one can see you! But when you lock down your hands you lock down your thoughts. You will think more freely and sound more confident if your hands are available to move. 3. Pause before answering questions Don’t be afraid of silence. You will sound better if you take a second to breathe and think. Come up with a few phrases you can use to acknowledge the question before you pause and breathe. “Great question; let me think about that” or “Hmmm… that sparks several thoughts…” or “I’m going to consider that for a second,” with a short pause buys you time. We worry about filling every second with words, but it takes confidence to be silent and it makes you sound smarter. Communicate confidence by giving yourself a moment’s pause before answering. You now have many tools at your disposal to make phone interviews go more smoothly. You don’t need to try them all or do them perfectly. Choose a few to practice, the ones that feel accessible and you know would make the biggest impact. Related: Ask Recruiters: How to Nail Your Email Responses and Phone Interview Prepare, practice, and then… let go. Trust yourself. Trust the work you’ve done. Trust that you’ll have what you need when the time comes. Your phone interview will not be perfect, but perfection isn’t the goal. The goal is to stay calm, sound confident, and present the best version of yourself. With these tips, you can now do that! Rachel Beohmhas worked for over ten years in the communications field. She trains executives, HR professionals, speakers, and job seekers to present themselves powerfully through the use of nonverbal communication skills so they can achieve their goals. She coaches clients one-on-one in downtown Portland, OR, provides blogs and other resources online, and delivers workshops and keynotes across the country. Rachel is active onTwitter,Facebook,LinkedIn, andMedium. She also blogs regularly at her website:www.rachelbeohm.com.